GOP Greenlights U.S. Job Outsourcing with Passage of Infrastructure Bill

08 10 21 Article : “… The bill allows the heads of federal agencies to issue waivers to corporations to work around Buy American requirements if they consider the requirement “inconsistent with the public interest,” does not meet “satisfactory quality,” or
if they believe >> buying American will increase costs for the projects.

The bill reads:

The head of a Federal agency that applies a domestic content procurement preference under this section may waive the application of that preference in any case in which the head of the Federal agency finds that:
- Applying the domestic content procurement preference would be inconsistent with the public interest;
- Types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality; or
- The inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.

The waivers will only be reviewed every five years, according to the bill, and will have to be justified in the Federal Register with a public comment period of no fewer than 30 days.

>> Due to China’s dominance in steel and manufactruing, the carve-outs are likely to be a massive benefit for corporations in China that often are linked to the Chinese Communist Party and party officials…”